Antiholdup cashier&#39;s cage



y 1942- B. L. DORSEY 2,283,542

ANTIHOLDUR CASHIERS CAGE Filed June 12, 1940 I INVENTOR. //v 4.00/2857.-

Patented May 19, 1942 l UNHTED TEJs OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a safety device particularly designed for use inbanks, cashiers ofiices, or wherever money is handled and exchanged,

and said device being designed for the effective protection againstholdups and robbery.

The principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon andsimplify the construction of the existing forms of anti-holdup apparatusor devices and further, to provide a device of the character referred tothat will be effective in trapping the person attempting to hold up androb a cashier and the construction of the device being such as to insuremaximum protection for the cashier against being shot or otherwiseassaulted by the robber.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a robber proofconstruction for use in connection with cashiers windows that willafford a maximum degree of privacy for the patrons or persons who havelegitimate dealings with the cashier located at the wicket with whichthe safety appliance is associated.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section taken through the wicket of a cashierscage and showing my improved robber proof structure associatedtherewith.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section showing the means for locking therevolving door of the safety structure against movement in bothdirections.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates apreferred embodiment of my invention, l designates a permanent wall thatseparates the space II in a bank or other financial institution andwhich is occupied by cashiers or like employees, from the space I2 thatis provided for the patrons or persons having business with thecashiers.

Formed in wall II] are openings such as l3 which function as wicketsthrough which business with the patrons is carried on and locatedimmediately below each wicket is a small counter or shelf 14 used by thecasher or other employee. Immediately adjacent the end of the shelf l4and to the right hand of the cashier stationed behind said shelf and thewicket immediately above said shelf is a wall that is arranged at rightangles to the wall l0, and located in said wall a short distancerearwardly from said wall I0 is a door way l6 that permits the cashieror other employee to readily pass from his position adjacent shelf l4into the space to the right of wall [5. Located in wall l5 between wallI 0 and the opening I6 is a panel l'l of bullet proof glass, preferablyof the type composed of woven wire embedded in shatter-proof glass.

Rotatably mounted in the space or chamber 12 a short distance in frontof the cashiers wicket I3 is an upright post-like member I8, the lowerend of which has a point bearing [9 on a hardened metal block 20 that isanchored in the floor 2|, and the upper end of this rotating member issupported by an antifriction bearing 22 that is arranged in an overheadsupport 23.

Rigidly secured to the upper portion of this rotating member I8 is acircular disc 24 of bullet proof material, preferably steel plate, anddepending from the marginal edge thereof is a circular wall 25 of bulletproof material, preferably steel plate.

Formed in the wall 25 are diametrically opposite openings 26 whichprovide entrance and exit openings for persons doing business with thecashier, and formed in said wall adjacent and immediately to the rightof the openings 26 are diametrically opposite openings 21 that providewickets which are adapted to coincide with the cashiers wicket I3.

Secured to'upright rotary member l8 and to -the wall 25 immediately tothe right of each opening 21 are walls or panels 28 and the upperportions of these walls may include panels 29 of glass, preferably ofthe shatter-proof type that is reinforced with embedded sections of wirenetting.

Arranged between the sides of the circular wall 25 and wall I!) arevertically disposed walls or panels 30 and located between the outer endof that one of the walls 30 thatis positioned to the right of thecashiers wicket l3 and the right hand end of said wicket is a curvedwall 3|, preferably of metal such as steel and which occupies a positionimmediately adjacent the outer face of the circular wall 25.

Secured to the outer portions of the walls 28 and disposed immediatelybelow the openings 21 therein are small counters 32 for the use of thepatrons or customers and formed in the outer face of the circular wall25 immediately beneath each opening 21 is a series of ratchet teeth 33.

Formed through the wall 25 at the outer end of each rowof ratchet teeth33 or at the end opposite the end that is adjacent the outer edge ofdoor 28 is an aperture 34.

These apertures are for the reception of the beveled outer end 35 of aplunger 36, the latter being mounted for sliding movement in a housing31 that is secured to curved wall 3| adjacent the point where wall joinswall [8. The outer end of plunger 36 is provided with a handle 38 and anexpansive spring 39 is arranged on plunger 36 between the end portion 35thereof and the end of housing 31 (see Fig. 2).

When the end portion 35 of the plunger is positioned in aperture 34, thecircular wall and post i8 upon which the same is mounted can not rotatein either direction and when the parts are so positioned, one of theopenings 2'! coincides with the cashiers wicket 13 as illustrated inFig. 1 and the adjacent opening 26 in wall 25 is closed by the curvedwall 31 while the opposite opening 26 is unobstructed so as to permitthe entrance of a patron or customer into that portion of the cage thatis not in communication with the cashiers wicket l3.

In the use of my improved safety structure, the patron adjacent thecounter 32 that is positioned beneath the opening 2'! havingcommunication with the cashiers wicket l3 may transact his business withthe cashier and while the transactions between cashier. and customer arebeing carried out, another patron may enter the door 25 in wall 25 thatis open and use the counter 32 that is positioned within the compartmenthaving the open door, for the making out of deposit slips, checks, andthe like.

When the transactions between the cashier and patron have beenconcluded, the cashier steps through door I6, engages handle 38 ofplunger 38 and pulls said plunger rearwardly to disengage the end ofsaid plunger from the opening 34. The cage comprising the circular wall25 and partition doors 28 may now be rotated on the vertical axisprovided by the upright member l8, during which time the beveled endportion 35 of the plunger rides on the external face of the circularwall 25.

As the cage is thus rotated, the patron or person who has just enteredthe cage moves around with said cage until the corresponding opening 21and counter 32 register with the cashiers wicket l3 and counter l4.

Inasmuch as the ratchet teeth 33 are formed in wall 25 immediatelybeneath the openings 21, the beveled end of plunger 36 will engage inthe first one of the row of teeth 33 at the time said first toothcoincides with the end of the plunger, at which time the end of theopening 21 immediately adjacent the door or panel 28 begins to registerwith the cashiers wicket l3 and thus, until the opening 21 is in fullregistration with the cashiers wicket l3, the cage comprising the wall25 and walls 28 can not be reversely rotated. When the opening is infull registration with the cashiers wicket I3, the end of plunger 35passes into opening 34, thereby positively locking the cage against bothforward and rearward rotary motion.

At this time the door 28 in wall 25 of the compartment occupied by theperson positioned in front of the cashiers wicket I3 is closed by thefixed curved wall 3| and thus, it is impossible for the personconfronting the cashier to escape from the compartment in which he is.positioned.

Thus, if the person confronting the cashier is bent on robbery andcovers the cashier with a pistol or the like, he may rob the cashier,but such action would be of no avail :by reason of the fact that therobber cannot escape from the com partment in which he is located.

The only way to obtain release from the compartment is for the cashieror some other bank employee to withdraw plunger 35 so as to permit thecage to be rotated and should the robber order the cashier to pull theplunger, it will of course be necessary for the cashier to move awayfrom his counter M and pass through the door If in the wall having thebullet proof panel H. In such event, the cashier after passing throughthe door l6 may safely call for assistance in capturing the trappedrobber. v

Obviously, a robber desiring or intending to hold up a cashier whosewicket is protected by my improved device and having knowledge of thepositive locking of the cage will be deterred from making such attemptinasmuch as it will be impossible for him to escapeafter the holdup andeven though the robber should shoot and wound the cashier, such actionwould not permit escape.

In the regular order of business or while transacting business withpatrons of the bank or other institution, the cashier after closingtransactions with one customer steps through door 16, withdraws plunger36, thereby permitting the cage comprising wall 25 and Walls 28 torotate onehalf a complete turn, thereby permitting the customer who hasjust transacted his business with the cashier to pass out through theopen door 26 and the patron who previously entered the other chamber inthe cage moves around with the counter 32 until he is positioneddirectly in front of the cashiers wicket.

Thus, the customer or patron who is positioned in front of the cashierswicket has ample privacy in making out checks, deposit slips, and thelike, and such privacy is particularly desirable especially where thecustomers are withdrawing considerable sums of money from the bank orother institution in which the safety cage is installed.

The cage including the circular wall 25 and partition panels 28 aremounted so that they may be freely rotated, either by slight pressure onthe panels by the patron or customer entering the cage or said cage maybe rotated by suitably arranged mechanical means, for instance, anelectric motor, an air motor, or by gearing and levers under control ofthe cashier or other employee stationed behind the walls H] and I6.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an anti-holdup cashiers cagethat is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacfromthe spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1, In an anti-holdup cashiers cage, the combination'with a wall in whichis formed a cashiers wicket, an upright member mounted for rotation infront .of said wicket, oppositely arranged walls carried by said uprightmember, a circular wall carried by said upright member and saidoppositely disposed walls, said circular wall being provided withoppositely arranged entrance and exit openings and with oppositelyarranged openings adapted to register with the cashiers wicket and afixed curved wall positioned so as to close one of the entrance and exitopenings in said curved wall when an adjacent one of the openings in thecurved wall is in registration with the cashiers wicket.

2. An anti-holdup cashiers cage as set forth in claim 1, with a bulletproof partition arranged behind the first mentioned wall to the right ofthe cashiers wicket, there being a series of ratchet teeth formed insaid circular wall below the openings therein that register with thecashiers wicket and a manually operable detent located in said firstmentioned wall behind said bullet proof wall for engaging said ratchetteeth to hold said upright member against reverse rotary motion.

BENJAMIN L. DORSEY.

